


Under the Light of the Full Moon

by VixenRose1996



Series: So It Goes Like This: [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Age Difference, Based on the flashback in 999 & 1000, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, In Vino Veritas, POV Second Person, Present Tense, Suggestive Themes, drunk ace is adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28975104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VixenRose1996/pseuds/VixenRose1996
Summary: The fire is burning down to just embers now, doing little to fight against the chill of the wind, but lying here next to Ace and the warmth his body puts off, all you feel is peace.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Yamato
Series: So It Goes Like This: [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938352
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	Under the Light of the Full Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so this is one of two short fics I'm working on for Ace's birthday (obviously a little late) and, considering I'm basically the only person who ships these two, I thought I'd treat myself.

_'The moon is so bright tonight,'_ you muse, the rim of a glass bottle of booze resting against your lips as you stare up at the luminance silver-white disk high in the sky, so bright that it blocked out the light of the nearby stars. _'Makes everything seem so peaceful.'_

Of course, the day had been anything but peaceful but it had also been the best day you'd had in... a long, _long_ time. Tomorrow, there would be trouble... and more so the day after that and the day after that and the day after that. Kaido would be furious when he returned and learned about Ace's actions on Onigashima, would likely even decide to seek revenge

But... you had made a friend, your first-ever real one - ~~Big Sis Maria~~ Black Maria didn't count; Kaido had brought her to the island specifically to be your playmate- and, for now, at least, all was quiet. There was only the sounds of the crackling of the fire, the wind blowing around the tall outcropping of rocks you and Ace had set up camp on, and the distant rolling of ocean waves filling the air. Even the conservation had lulled, both of you content to sip your drinks and enjoy one another's silent company. 

It had been forever since you felt this happy. 

**_Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!_ **

The tiny snaps and cracks of bones crushing catch your attention, causing you to smile as Kotatsu licks at his giant paws and nibbles at the large thigh bone between them. Most of the Spade Pirates had left to return the kidnapped children earlier that day -but only after the blue-haired masked man had patched up the wounds on both Ace and yourself, grumbling under his breath about how, “Oh god, now there is two of them”- but the crew's resident giant lynx had stubbornly refused to depart, intent on stay by his captain's side. 

So stay he did, following the two of you around silently as you raided the kitchens for food and Kaido's private quarters for the good booze and then eventually up onto the rock outcropping. The big kitty watched you the entire time with what you could swear was distrust in his big amber eyes, ready to pounce and defend his captain at a moment's notice.

That actually makes you like Ace more. For his crew to be so protective, Ace but be a wonderful captain and a good person. 

But, aside from reassuring you, Kotatsu was also welcome because he was very warm and made an excellent backrest. Sure, it had taken bribing him with a giant leg of lamb to earn the kitty's trust, but now the lynx was letting you lean back against his side so long as he gnaws on the bone. You'd never had pets before so, while you doubt this is the norm, it is a nice experience. Not to mention, the position and limited space also meant that Ace was pressed up against your side, his body deliciously warm against the chilly night air despite his smaller size.

"What a good kitty," you coo, scratching at Kotatsu's ears and playing with the cute little tufts of fur there. "Such a handsome boy."

With all your attention focused on the giant lynx, it takes you a moment to register the sensation of fingers in your hair. 

"Huh?" 

You turn to see that Ace has his hands buried deep in your thick locks, combing and twirling the silver and green strands through his callous fingers with a look of pure fascination and wonderment on his face.

"What are you doing?" you ask, half-confused and half-amused.

"Your hair is so soft, Yama- _chan_ , and pretty too!" the infamous Fire-Fist exclaimed as he held up some strands to eye-level so he could examine them closer. 

"It looks like... it looks like-" Ace stumbled to find the right words, looking around for a moment before glancing up at the night sky and gasping. "It looks like moonlight! Yeah, that is it! Your hair is the color of moonlight and is as soft as silk!"

You feel yourself grow pink at the compliment, especially since Ace follows it up by rubbing a lock of your hair against his cheek and humming in appreciation of its apparent silkiness. No one has ever said anything like that to you, not honestly at least; your appearance has been complimented by Kaido's men and allies plenty of times but, while you know you are attractive, those compliments never felt genuine. 

Ace doesn't strike you as a liar. 

"You are drunk," you reply, instead of addressing what he just said. You lean to the side, gently tugging your hair out of the young pirate's curious hands. 

“And my name is Yamato, got it?" Still embarrassed but feeling a bit playful, you boop Ace's nose and then tap again it with each syllable. "Ya-ma-to."

Ace wrinkles his nose, confused, but then gives you a dazzling smile. Quick as a whip, he latches onto your arm and hugs the limb to his chest like it was a stuffed teddy. 

"What are you doing, you silly monkey?" you demand, trying to free your arm.

The young pirate just laughs, tightening his grip, and reaches out to boop your own nose. "Ya-ma- _chan!_ "

Your sputtered responses only serve to amuse Ace further, causing him to giggle into the fabric of your sleeve and holding on tight whenever you try to shake him off. After a few moments of unsuccessful struggling, you huff out an exasperated, "Why are you acting like this?"

Ace just nuzzles into your arm, rubbing his face against your arm like a cat would its beloved owner. Then he looks up at you with flushed cheeks and stormy gray eyes hazy with warm, drunken affection. 

"I like you Yama- _chan!_ " he answers, sweet as can be. "I wish I could take you out to sea with me. You'd be happy there and I want you to always be happy so you can smile _all_ the time. You have a nice smile."

All the blood rushes to your face and you can feel it burning. 

_'Ace is drunk,'_ you remind yourself, barely able to hear the thought over the pounding of your own heart. _'He does mean any of this.'_

Back when you were raiding Kaido's liquor cabinet, Ace had proudly proclaimed that he couldn't get drunk because the power of the Mera Mera no Mi burned all of the alcohol out of his system quicker than he could reasonably consume it. But, what the cocky super-rookie didn't realize that this stuff was specially made for your monster of a father -a tribute from one of the islands under the Yonko's so-called protection- and, as such, is potent enough to get giants drunk. You're big enough to just have a good buzz going but Ace...

"I don't want to leave!" he declares, cuddling closer to the point he was almost climbing into your lap. "I don't want to leave because then you'll be alone and sad. Being alone... that is was hell must be like, there is nothing worse in the world. You don't even have a Luffy here to help you."

There are tears prickling in the corners of his eyes and the pain in Ace's voice, though brought forth by alcohol, was very, very real. 

"Oh, Ace..." you breathe, pulling him even closer so you could tuck his warm little body against your own. 

His ridiculous orange hat falls from its perch to hang by the strap around Ace's neck. His head resting under your chin, you rub your cheek against his dark, curly hair in what you hope is a comforting gesture; it is hard to be sure, you don't have much practice with this sort of thing. The teenager smells good, you note, like wood smoke, salty sea air, and a hint of peppery spice.

_'Who hurt you?'_

"You feel so soft, Yamato," Ace sighs, snuggling into your chest. It is an action that would be embarrassing if not for... well, everything else about this conversation is already overwhelming you with a dizzying rush of emotions. You also want to make Ace feel better and, if this helps, then so be it. 

"We should sleep like this," he continues. "I bet it would feel really nice."

Though he almost certainly didn't mean it in such a way, the less-than-platonic implications of Ace's words have your heart rate skyrocketing again. 

_'He is drunk,'_ you repeat to yourself. _'He is drunk and young and doesn't realize what he is saying.'_

_'He is old enough to know what he wants,'_ a voice from the dark recess of your mind, one that sounds suspiciously like ~~Big Sis Maria~~ Black Maria, whispers. _'Just go for it. You know you want to.'_

The idea is tempting, extremely so. Though the bond you have with Ace is new and frail, never in your life have you felt like this about anyone. For the safety of you, himself, the other Spade Pirates, and the people of Wano, Ace will have to leave soon -that is a fact. You two won't have long together, maybe a few days if you're really lucky, so yeah, part of you wants to see how far you can go with him. But, at the same time...

_'No, that would be taking advantage of him,'_ you mentally buckle down, shoving your selfish thoughts away. All it takes is one look down at Ace's freckly face, still resting on the curves of your chest with his eyes clothes to strengthen your resolve. _'It would be wrong.'_

So you turn away from such thoughts and focus on more important things, like keeping you both -and Kotatsu- safe during the night. You can't stay on the outcropping, it is too exposed to potential attacks on top of being just damn uncomfortable.

"Hey hey hey, don't go falling asleep on me," you chide softly, jostling the dozing pirate in your arms. "We can't do that here, it isn't safe."

"Mmmm, is that right?" he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. After giving your words a moment of consideration, Ace nods, "Yeah, we should go sleep in your room instead."

_'THIS GUY!'_ you internally scream as the blush returns; needless to say, Ace was not making this easier for you. “You’re trying to kill me, aren't you?

Ace tilts his head back and blinks up at you owlishly.

"Huh? Why would I want to do that?" he asks like he wasn't straddling you with your hips pressed together and he did just have his head buried in your boobs. 

Eyebrow twitching, you pinch and pull at his ears, causing Ace to wince and whine. "What do you want from me, weirdo?"

"Hmmm... Carry me!" Ace demands, wrapping himself back around you. 

.

.

.

"Absolutely not!" 

You hop to your feet, spilling the rookie pirate from your lap onto the hard ground. 

"Awww, no fair," Ace complains, pouting like a child denied sweets. It is a blatant remember of Ace's young age that seemed so strangely disproportionate to his bounty. "Come on! Carry me back to your bedroom, Yama- _chan!_ "

Cheeks burning, you haul the young pirate to his feet. "Stop complaining, young man. Now, on your feet and march!"

Ace rolls his eyes but gives a mockingly perfect salute, "Sir, yes sir!"

Despite yourself, you giggle at his reaction and give him a little shove in the direction of the stairs used to climb outcropping. "Get your cute little butt moving."

The 'cute' part slips off your tongue before you can realize it was ever there and, for the briefest moment, your brain stutters for a way to cover the comment. But, thankfully, Ace doesn't even seem to notice. No, he was too busy drunkenly stumbling towards the top step, slender yet muscular body swaying in the wind with each step. 

The potential danger of allowing a drunk man near such a sheer rock edge only occurs to you when Ace is a few steps away from plummeting a solid thirty feet and landing on his head. Sure, he'd probably survive the fall, but it is still not something you want to see. Plus, you were the one who got him this drunk so that made Ace your responsibility... in more ways than one. 

"No, wait!" you shout, rushing forward and readying yourself to swoop the handsome young pirate up into your arms where he'd be safe. "Ace, don't g-"

**Thud.**

Without cause, Ace had tipped backward, landing on the ground face up with his arms spread wide and mouth hanging open.

Your jaw drops open. "Is... is he _snoring_?"

Kotatsu is at his captain's side in an instant, nuzzling Ace's chin and licking his cheek. Once it is clear that the young pirate won't be woken up but such actions, the giant lynx nudges his nose under Ace's neck and uses that as leverage to lift his captain's upper body off the ground. You watch in amazement as the feline wiggles himself until he was laying on his side with Ace's head comfortably pillowed on his side in a smooth, practiced motion.

You make your way over to the pair, silent as you lean over to observe the sleeping pirate's flushed face. _'He looks so peaceful like this.'_

" **_Mrrrrrrrrrrawr_ **."

Kotatsu's amber eyes catch yours and, you swear on Lord Oden's grave, he gives you an exasperated look, flicking his head in the direction of Ace.

"Does he do this often?" you ask, crouching about the sleeping young man. You poke his cheek, getting no response, and take note that a touch of childish roundness still clung there, the last vestige of the boy Ace once was. 

_'I bet he was a cute kid,'_ you think, trying to imagine Ace as a freckly toddler running around causing havoc. Turning back to the giant lynx, you ask, "Will he wake up anytime soon?"

" **_Awrawrawr_ **." The muscles in Kotatasu's body flex and roll like one giant shrug.

"That's just great," you huff, hands on your hips as you consider what to do. Ace's relaxed, sleeping face mocks "I'm still not carrying you."

Ace shifts in his sleep, grumbling something about 'meat' and 'Lu'. It is fairly endearing but not enough to stop you from shaking him awake but then...

" _Yaaamaatoooo..._ ," Ace sighs, still dead to the world with a giant, sleepy smile on his face. 

...you just _melt_. 

The warmth that floods you is a soft, uplifting thing and you feel like you could fly. Unlike the uncomfortable, somewhat unfamiliar mix of lust, affection, attraction, and embarrassment you'd been feeling all evening, this sensation is so overwhelmingly happy that, without thinking, you find yourself curling up on your side next to Ace. 

Resting your cheek on Kotatsu's warm, muscular side -careful not to poke the lynx with the tips of your horns- you just... **_look_ **at Ace. You study the slope of his nose and the angle of his jaw. You trace the arch of his eyebrows and the shape of his lips with your eyes. You count his eyelashes and freckles, desperate to memorize his features.

_'Who knows when... or_ **_if_ ** _you'll ever get to see him again.'_

But you push that thought and reach over to rest a hand over Ace's steady heartbeat. The rhythmic **_thump-thump-thump_ ** reassures you that this isn't a dream, that Ace is real and alive and warm! 

The fire is burning down to just embers now, doing little to fight against the chill of the wind, but lying here next to Ace and the warmth his body puts off, all you feel is peace. 

**Author's Note:**

> So I don't usually like it when fic include honorifics because, technically speaking, the characters are canonically speaking English, not Japanese and the honorifics are just there because of real-world reasons. But the whole 'Yama-chan' thing was too cute not to include after I thought of it. 
> 
> Also, this WILL have a second chapter, but it will be a touch more... x-rated.


End file.
